Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Fatawu Issahaku and send him on loan to Sporting Lisbon but an agent change is still required.
As Saddick Adams first reported exclusively, Liverpool have agreed a £1.5 million fee with Steadfast FC to sign Fatawu Issahaku and Joy FM now report he will go on loan to Sporting CP as part of the UK immigration process.
As far as Anfield Central is aware, Liverpool are unhappy with the player’s agent and have told him that he will not move to Merseyside until he has changed his representation which gives him at least a year to do so.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku of Ghana shoots and scores during the 2021 CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations football match between Ghana and Gambia at Stade Municipal Nouadhibou, Mauritania on 22 February 2021. (Photo by Alain Guy Suffo/BackpagePix)
UK immigration laws following Brexit mean that English clubs cannot sign foreign talent until they are 18 years old and qualify for a work permit which requires them to spend at least a year playing regularly for a team in Europe’s top five leagues.
Manchester United attempted to poach a move for the 17-year-old but Liverpool have moved swiftly to agree a loan deal to Sporting which, as Anfield Central has been told, has an unspecified length that will allow the player to remain with the Portuguese club until he qualifies for a work permit.
We’re told that Liverpool are confident that a single year on loan will be enough to earn the Ghanaian a visa to move to the UK but are grateful for Sporting’s willingness to host the young forward.
The Reds will be in constant contact with Issahaku and hope that before he qualifies for a work permit, he realises that he needs a change of representation otherwise Liverpool have no qualms selling him.
FIFA has warned clubs about his agents which saw both Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen walk away from the chance to sign arguably Africa’s most promising talent.
The 17-year-old is one of the most exciting talents in the world and the best 17-year-old in Africa for sure. (Edit by Total Football Analysis)
The Red Devils are now set to miss out on Issahaku despite their best attempts. They also told the player he would need a change of agent before he could sign as a United player and even went so far as to offer to help him join agencies they have worked alongside in the past.
They recommended Promoesport and Triple S Sports Entertainment as two they’ve enjoyed working with. Eric Bailly and Adama Traore are represented by the former while the latter represents both Harry Maguire and 22-year-old James Garner.
Issahaku is one of the most exciting teenagers in the world and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, representing Ghana.
